Visit CAT

Nestled in the foothills of Snowdonia, the Centre for Alternative Technology (CAT) is a world-renowned eco centre that researches and supports greener ways of living.

With seven acres of hands-on displays, examples of environmentally responsible buildings, renewable energy, organically managed gardens and family holiday activities, there is something for everyone at CAT.

Half Term Family Activities

Bring the whole family and discover winter wildlife at CAT this February Half Term! Entry and activities are FREE.

PLAN YOUR VISIT

Explore

We believe in a positive future where we have learnt to live harmoniously with nature and tread lightly on the planet while enjoying the highest quality of life. Our Visitor Centre helps you explore that vision for the future and learn about ways to help achieve it.

CAT has been inspiring and informing visitors for over 40 years and is as relevant today as ever!

Energy

Discover all about renewable technologies through some hands-on displays.

JavaScript is required to filter events

Introduction to Permaculture

22nd February 2019
Short Course
Permaculture Design Course (part 1). Learn how to design resilient, abundant human habitats by working collaboratively with nature and with each other. This course is run at CAT by Aberystwyth…

Intro to Solar P.V. & Off Grid Solar P.V.

2nd March 2019
Short Course
The theory and practice of solar electricity. Design, combine and connect a range of different systems as you get to grips with grid-connected and off-grid photovoltaics. A great introduction for…

Sustainable Woodland Management (sold out)

4th March 2019
Short Course
The theory and practice of managing woodlands in a way that benefits people and wildlife. Winner of the Woodlands Awards Best Woodlands Course 2017, this highly practical five-day course gets…

Introduction to Horse Logging

9th March 2019
Short Course
Discover the magic and wonder of working with horses in a beautiful woodland setting. Spend a day in the CAT woodlands with experienced horse handler Barbara Hadrill and her cobs…

Mindful Woodland Management

9th March 2019
Short Course
A weekend of calm contemplation and woodland skills. Learn some of the basic techniques of traditional woodland management and coppice craft whilst developing mindfulness skills in the peaceful surrounds of…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

9th March 2019
Short Course
Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Introduction to Horse Logging

10th March 2019
Short Course
Discover the magic and wonder of working with horses in a beautiful woodland setting. Spend a day in the CAT woodlands with experienced horse handler Barbara Hadrill and her cobs…

Energy Provision (including Renewable Energy)

11th March 2019
Short Course
A detailed look at powering up clean energy supplies with wind, water and solar. Join students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment for an in-depth look at how energy…

Energy Generation from Wind

11th March 2019
Short Course
An in-depth look at wind power. Join students from CAT’s Masters degree in Sustainability in Energy Provision and Demand Management for an intensive study week exploring all the key aspects…

Open Day: MSc and MArch Courses

15th March 2019
Graduate School Open Days and Events
Graduate School open days offer an authentic flavour of what it’s like to learn on our postgraduate sustainability courses. Friday 15th March 2019 @ CAT Informative and inspiring, the day…

Build a Natural House

18th March 2019
Short Course
Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

Eco Refurbishment

22nd March 2019
Short Course
Transform buildings into cosy, low impact, energy efficient homes. Refurbishing our homes to make them more energy efficient is one of the key aspects of effective action on climate change.…

Self-Build Project Management

23rd March 2019
Short Course
Pain-free planning for your building project. If you’re thinking of building your own home, community space or other self-build structure, it pays to be prepared. This course covers how to…

Build a small wind turbine

23rd March 2019
Short Course
Generate electricity with a homemade wind turbine. Join Tom Dixon of V3 Power to build a wind turbine yourself, from scratch. Drawing on over ten years of experience in teaching…

Concert – Edgelarks

23rd March 2019
Visitors Centre
Edgelarks, the folk inspired duo formerly known as Phillip Henry and Hannah Martin, are performing at the Centre for Alternative Technology, Machynlleth on Saturday 23rd March. In April 2018, Edgelarks…

Traditional Timber Frame Joints

30th March 2019
Short Course
A hands-on workshop giving you the skills to start working with timber frames Learn how to measure, mark out and cut perfect joints used in traditional timber framing. This one…

Growing Fruit

30th March 2019
Short Course
Start growing apples, pears and soft fruits. Learn how to propagate, prune and protect from disease as you get started with growing your own fruit trees. This course is run…

Social Forestry OCN

2nd April 2019
Short Course
Woodlands for wellbeing. Learn the theory and practice of social forestry, looking at how sustainable woodland management and crafts can help promote human wellbeing. Covering working with groups and individuals…

Plastic and Earth Building

6th April 2019
Short Course
Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

Willow Frame Baskets

6th April 2019
Short Course
Learn traditional basket making techniques and make your own beautiful willow basket. Your expert teacher Pippa Scott will guide you through traditional techniques to make your very own beautiful rustic…

Ecosystem services: Land use, water and waste management

8th April 2019
Short Course
An in-depth look at what nature provides, and how precious resources can be protected and preserved. Often overlooked or taken for granted, the services that nature provides are essential for…

DIY Furniture – upcycling with pallets

13th April 2019
Short Course
Transform waste pallets into gorgeous bespoke furniture for your home and garden A hands-on workshop for anyone who wants to get started with upcycled furniture. Tutor Carwyn Lloyd Jones will…

Spoon Carving

20th April 2019
Short Course
Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Wildlife Tracking and Bird Language

20th April 2019
Short Course
A unique insight into the secret life of woodland animals. Develop your wildlife identification and tracking skills as you immerse yourself in nature during this wonderful weekend course. Key information…

Bird Identification: An Introduction

26th April 2019
Short Course
Get to know our feathered friends with an expert birder. Spend three days in beautiful surroundings as you learn how to identify a wide range of different birds, from warblers…

Permaculture Design Course (part 3)

27th April 2019
Short Course
Designing resilient abundant human habitats. The final instalment of a three-part course in designing systems that provide for human needs in an ecologically beneficial way. Please note that you must…

Timber Frame Self Build

29th April 2019
Short Course
Build a small timber frame structure with simple easy-to-learn techniques. Timber can be a low impact, highly versatile, easy-to-use building material. Spend the week working on a real-life project with…

Climate Emergency Solutions Summit

Hydroelectric and Marine Energy Generation

6th May 2019
Short Course
Waves, rivers and tides – harnessing the power of water Join students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment on a module from our MSc Sustainability in Energy Provision and…

Sustainable Building Materials

13th May 2019
Short Course
Join CAT postgraduate students for an immersive week of hands-on green building Straw bale, timber, hemp, lime, earth – get to grips with a wide range of natural, low-impact materials…

Build a Tiny House – Sold Out

Build a Natural House

27th May 2019
Short Course
Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

Connecting with Trees

15th June 2019
Short Course
Discover the secret life of trees. A unique two-day course immersed in the CAT woodlands, learning about and connecting with the wonderful world of trees. Learn to identify common tree…

Build a Tiny House – Sold Out

The Diversity of Invertebrates in West Wales

21st June 2019
Short Course
Take an up-close look at a creepy crawly world. We share our world with an abundance of fascinating creatures, but the smallest of these are often overlooked. Learn about the…

Identifying Flowering Plants

28th June 2019
Short Course
Gain skills and confidence in identifying wild and garden varieties. Don’t know your daisies from your dahlias? Or maybe you have good general plant knowledge but want to be able…

Spoon Carving

29th June 2019
Short Course
Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

29th June 2019
Short Course
Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Stove Installers Course

4th July 2019
Short Course
Get started with installing solid fuel stoves. Suitable for beginners and for those with some previous experience of heating systems, this course provides the know-how and practical skills needed to…

Compost Toilets

6th July 2019
Short Course
A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Plastic and Earth Building

6th July 2019
Short Course
Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

A Work that Reconnects Retreat

7th July 2019
Short Course
A week-long retreat combining meditation with volunteering. This eco-retreat builds on the work of Joanna Macy, combine time spent volunteering in the CAT woodlands and gardens with daily meditation and…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

7th July 2019
Short Course
Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…

HETAS H003DS & H006 Installation of Dry Appliances & System Chimneys

8th July 2019
Short Course
Two HETAS courses combined at a reduced price! Accredited course for professional installers. Learn from independent experts in a purpose-built training space. Key information Duration: four days Upcoming dates: please…

Introduction to Permaculture

12th July 2019
Short Course
Permaculture Design Course (part 1). Learn how to design resilient, abundant human habitats by working collaboratively with nature and with each other. This course is run at CAT by Aberystwyth…

The Science of Sustainable Food Production

15th July 2019
Short Course
Delve into the detail of our food production systems. Join students from CAT’s Graduate School of the Environment to examine the scientific underpinnings of our agricultural system. Explore different types…

Build a Natural House

22nd July 2019
Short Course
Build your own outhouse, a garden retreat or even extending or building your own home. Whatever your grand design, this practical course can help put some of those ideas into…

Build a Tiny House

Hempcrete – Retrofitting for self-builders

3rd August 2019
Short Course
A low carbon insulation material that’s flexible and easy to use. If you’re adding insulation to your home and are thinking of using a low-impact alternative, hempcrete might be the…

DIY Furniture – upcycling with pallets

3rd August 2019
Short Course
Transform waste pallets into gorgeous bespoke furniture for your home and garden A hands-on workshop for anyone who wants to get started with upcycled furniture. Tutor Carwyn Lloyd Jones will…

Timber Frame Self Build

5th August 2019
Short Course
Build a small timber frame structure with simple easy-to-learn techniques. Timber can be a low impact, highly versatile, easy-to-use building material. Spend the week working on a real-life project with…

Intro to Solar P.V. & Off Grid Solar P.V.

17th August 2019
Short Course
The theory and practice of solar electricity. Design, combine and connect a range of different systems as you get to grips with grid-connected and off-grid photovoltaics. A great introduction for…

Building with Straw Bales

19th August 2019
Short Course
Create natural, low-impact structures with world-renowned expert If you’re thinking of building your own eco home, workshop or community space, straw bales could be the answer. This five-day introduction to…

Build a Tiny House

Plastic and Earth Building

7th September 2019
Short Course
Combining traditional cob building with innovative ways of using waste materials. Building with waste plastic helps keep it out of landfill and away from our seas. Learn how to combine…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

14th September 2019
Short Course
Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Pond and Stream Invertebrate Life

20th September 2019
Short Course
Discover an amazing underwater world. Pond-dipping for grown-ups! Learn how to find and identify freshwater creatures, exploring their habitats and finding out about their often bizarre life cycles. Use microscopes,…

Build a Tiny House

CAT Conference

27th September 2019
Visitors Centre
We’ll be hosting our annual conference for members, supporters and students of CAT from the 27th to 28th September 2019. We’d love to see you there. Come and help us…

The Science Behind Gardening

28th September 2019
Short Course
Get to grips with the fundamentals of plant biology. Learn the principles of botany and the implications for how plants grow, exploring how this knowledge can help you improve your…

Compost Toilets

5th October 2019
Short Course
A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Build a small wind turbine

5th October 2019
Short Course
Generate electricity with a homemade wind turbine. Join Tom Dixon of V3 Power to build a wind turbine yourself, from scratch. Drawing on over ten years of experience in teaching…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

6th October 2019
Short Course
Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…

Social Forestry OCN

8th October 2019
Short Course
Woodlands for wellbeing. Learn the theory and practice of social forestry, looking at how sustainable woodland management and crafts can help promote human wellbeing. Covering working with groups and individuals…

Self-Build Project Management

12th October 2019
Short Course
Pain-free planning for your building project. If you’re thinking of building your own home, community space or other self-build structure, it pays to be prepared. This course covers how to…

Flat-bottomed Willow Basket Making

12th October 2019
Short Course
Learn to create willow baskets using the stake and strand technique and make your own beautiful willow basket. Expert teacher and basket maker Pippa Scott will show you how to…

Build a Tiny House

Eco Refurbishment

25th October 2019
Short Course
Transform buildings into cosy, low impact, energy efficient homes. Refurbishing our homes to make them more energy efficient is one of the key aspects of effective action on climate change.…

Spoon Carving

26th October 2019
Short Course
Get started with woodworking Spend a day in nature discovering the ancient art of spoon carving. This course is a great way to get started with woodworking, covering choosing materials,…

Build a Lapsteel Guitar

9th November 2019
Short Course
Build a working instrument using reclaimed and upcycled materials. If you’ve ever dreamed of making your own musical instrument, lapsteel guitars are a great place to start. During this one-day…

Sustainable Woodland Management

18th November 2019
Short Course
The theory and practice of managing woodlands in a way that benefits people and wildlife. Winner of the Woodlands Awards Best Woodlands Course 2017, this highly practical five-day course gets…

Compost Toilets

23rd November 2019
Short Course
A Beginner’s Guide to the Compost Toilet – Understanding the biology behind humanure Get a foundational understanding of the principles, benefits and limitations of compost toilets. This is not a…

Reedbeds and Waste Water Management

24th November 2019
Short Course
Off-grid sewage and water treatment systems If you’re living or working in a remote location and need low impact, eco-friendly options for waste water management, CAT is the place to…